§ 536 — Deductions from benefits of certain retired members

§ 536. Deductions from benefits of certain retired members. 1.\nNotwithstanding any other provision of law, a pensioner who is retired\nfrom the retirement system shall have the right, at any time after such\npensioner's retirement, to execute and file a deduction authorization\ncard with the retirement board authorizing the deduction from such\npensioner's retirement allowance of membership dues and such pensioner's\nshare of the cost for employee organization-sponsored benefit plans and\nthe payment thereof to a retiree organization of which the pensioner is\nthen a member and which is then affiliated with either an employee\norganization certified or recognized as the collective bargaining\nrepresentative of all employees in the negotiating unit of which the\npensioner was a part prior to his or her retirement or with an employee\norganization with which such employee organization is then affiliated.\nThe retirement board shall thereafter deduct from the retirement\nallowance of such pensioner the amount of membership dues and such\namounts required to be paid by such pensioner for such authorized\nemployee organization-sponsored benefit plans, and shall transmit the\nsum so deducted to said retiree organization. Such authorization shall\ncontinue in effect until revoked in writing by such pensioner. For\npurposes of this section, the term "employee organization-sponsored\nbenefit plans" shall include any and all insurance plans and/or other\nbenefit plans sponsored by such retiree organization whether provided by\n(a) a not-for-profit corporation licensed under article forty-three of\nthe insurance law; (b) any insurance company authorized to do business\nin this state; (c) a health maintenance organization issued a\ncertificate of authority pursuant to article forty-four of the public\nhealth law; or (d) a self-insurance arrangement, welfare fund or benefit\nfund.\n 2. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a retired member shall\nhave the right, at any time after his or her retirement, to execute and\nfile a deduction authorization card with the retirement board\nauthorizing the payment of voluntary contributions to the political\ncommittee, as defined in subdivision one of section 14-100 of the\nelection law, of such member's employee organization, provided such\norganization is certified or recognized pursuant to article fourteen of\nthe civil service law as the representative of all employees in the\nnegotiating unit in which such retired member was then employed. Such\nauthorization shall continue in effect until revoked in writing by such\nmember. The board shall determine the cost of administering deductions\nfor voluntary contributions to the political committee and the cost\nincurred by the retirement system in administering such contributions\nshall be paid from the funds of the political committee.\n